New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) The first all women contingent of the Delhi Police celebrated after their maiden Republic Day parade, by dancing to the drumbeats and distributing sweets on Friday over their historic achievement.
A video of the members of contingent in their uniforms, waiving their arms and dancing cheerfully to the tune played by their band, went viral on social media.
"It was a goosebumps moment for all of us. As our contingent reached the Red Fort, we were welcomed by our senior officials with great zeal," Shweta Sugathan, 2018 batch IPS officer who led the contingent in the parade, told PTI.
The audience at Kartavya Path loudly cheered after all women contingent of the Delhi Police marched on the 75th Republic Day for the first time in its history.
History was made today when the first all women contingent and the band of Delhi Police marched on Kartavya Path this Republic Day, said Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa.
"The glass ceiling has been broken in this domain too. A scintillating finale of the hard work put up by the whole team of fourth Battalion and the coaches along with the contingent participants are worthy of applause," she said.
Soon after the march, the team was welcomed by the senior police officers and celebrations erupted. Different videos shared by the Delhi Police show the members of the contingent along with other officers dancing to the tune of drum beats and distributing sweets.
Sugathan said that her family members were also present to witness the parade. "Everyone in our department was super excited," Sugathan further said.
The Delhi Police contingent comprised one female gazetted officer, three women sub-inspectors, 44 women head-constables, and 100 women constables, all draped in red 'safa'.
She had led the male marching contingents in 2023 too, when a woman officer led the male soldiers for the first time. The Delhi Police's contingent has a unique distinction of participating in every Republic Day parade since the country became a republic on January 26, 1950.
It has been adjudged the best marching contingent 15 times -- the last being in 2021. Its motto is "Shanti, Seva aur Nyaya" (peace, service and justice).
The Delhi Police's all women pipe band also participated in the march which was led by bandmaster Sub-inspector Ruyangunuo Kense. This was also for the first time in the history of Delhi Police that a female officer led the band.
Last year, a female-dedicated pipe band was inducted in the parade, but it was led by a male inspector.
This year, Delhi Police Brass and Pipe Band comprised four women sub-inspectors and 81 women constables. The band played the 'Delhi Police Song'.
The band's 80 per cent of the participants are from the northeastern states.
The Delhi Police follows a policy of recruiting people from the eight states in the northeast to "bridge the gap" between the force and the people from that region.